I don’t get sick very often, but when I do, it is of course on the day that I have a very important exam – one that I am undoubtedly severely unprepared for. So now that I have a written test that determines 50% of my semester grade in Cinema Studies 373, I obviously have a cold.
I’m coughing, my voice comes and goes as it pleases and my head feels like it weighs 5 thousand pounds. And I’m the type of person who has to sleep if they’re sick. I have no problem putting my health above my studies – until I have to sit down and take that test.
The test is in an hour, so there’s no hope for me to 1. Feel better before the test or 2. Actually know the material that is on the test. But! I have a pretty important social event to attend tomorrow night and I need to be better before subjecting myself to the germ-infested Champaign bars.
I consulted my two favorite doctors for how to remedy this cold – WebMD and my dad (who I should mention is more of a self-proclaimed medicine man, definitely not a doctor). Nothing my dad says is ever scientifically proven, but oddly enough, he tends to be right with this kind of stuff – so I listen. And WebMD is pretty helpful too (for the not-so-serious stuff). While I got a mix of advice from the two sources, here are some simple recommendations that they agreed on:
Drink water: According to an article from WebMD, drinking water, or any fluids for that matter, will keep you hydrated and your throat moist. It will also help break up your congestion. The article says you should avoid any colas or coffees, because they will actually dehydrate you. According to my dad, water flushes the germs and impurities out of your system and drinking more water will make it happen faster.
Drink hot liquids: The article says hot liquids not only help keep you hydrated, but they also soothe the membranes that line your nose and throat. These areas hurt because the membranes are inflamed, so the warm liquids will help ease the pain. My dad says (for the reasons above) that you have to get a lot of liquids, and cold liquids might give you the chills, so it’s better to stick with hot. He also mentioned that he makes the best chicken soup in the world, so that’s another reason to have hot liquids.
Get your Vitamin C: While WebMD admits that Vitamin C cannot prevent colds, it cites a recent study that says Vitamin C can help shorten the duration of a cold. Some fruits that are high in Vitamin C include kiwi, oranges, strawberries, papayas, broccoli, kale and peppers. My dad says I should treat myself to a screwdriver (orange juice and vodka).
I’m three cups of tea and two bottles of water deep already, and I’ll be hitting up the grocery store later tonight for some kiwi and strawberries. If you have any other ideas for how I can remedy this cold before my social deadline of 8 p.m. tomorrow, tweet them at me! @SamGetsHealthy If it works, I’ll be blogging about it tomorrow!
Coughing and cramming,
Samantha